Pistol trainer



z E L F E D PISTOL. mmm

2 Sheetet l Filed Jam 17, 1945 INVEN'I'OR Luis DE FLoRx-:z

April l5, i947.

l.. DE FLQREZ PISTOL TRAINER Filed Jan.. 1'7, 1945 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2.AIIIIIIII .l .Illll LUIS DE FLOREZ Patented pr. l5, 1947 gan UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amendedApril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) Claims.

The present invention relates -to training devices and has generalreference .to devices intended for small arms marksmanship trainingwithout the use of actual ammunition.

In general, it is the aim of the device to provide means for trainingmarksmen better, more quickly, and at lower cost than by practice of themethods heretofore commonly employed. In considering the followingdisclosure of the invention, it Will be obvious that training by themethod and means here disclosed will be less expensive than usual targetpractice, since the -device herein shown does not require theexpenditure of arnmunition. Less obvious, but more important is that thepresent invention provides means for teaching quicker and better thanconventional methods of practice.

In this connection it may be well to point out that it is a commonassumption that training can be best accomplished by actual practice.However, this assumption is not necessarily a fact, and the presentinventor submits that better overall training can be accomplished by aplanned synthetic training program which utilizes both synthetic andactual practice. Thus the purpose of the device shown in this disclosureis not primarily to provide a substitute for training of other kinds.Rather, it is a part of a new method of synthetic training, intended tobe used in conjunction with practice with live ammunition as a part of adenite training pattern, designed to establish proper muscular habitsprior to beginning practice with live ammunition.

In developing marksmanship, it is not only necessary to provide soundinstruction and sufficient practice to develop good muscular habits; itis also essential to prevent the acquisition of improper habits orphysical reactions having a detrimental effect on the skill of thestudent. More specifically, it is deemed desirable to avoid the use oflive ammunition in the initial stages of the training, since the recoiland muzzle blast of the weapon tend to cause the student to develophabits of flinching at the instant of firing. In fact, in trainingnovices in pistol marksmanship by conventional methods, it is common tosee a student re his first two or three shots with reasonable accuracy,and to then grow steadily more inaccurate until after 30 or 40 shots heis unable to maintain any reasonable degree of control. The reason forthis appears to be that the acts of aligning the sights and squeezingthe trigger of a nre-arm are essentially simple and may be done with areasonable degree of accuracy by almost any person having normalmuscular control.

However, the recoil and sharp muzzle blast associated with the ring mayquickly cause an involuntary flinching in anticipa-tion of the blast,throwing the sights completely off the target so that the shot will bewild. This is particularly true of practice with large caliber pistols,but is true to a lesser extent with small caliber pistols, rifles, orany other small arms.

The synthetic training pattern with which the present disclosure is usedproceeds on the theory that it is more effective to avoid the iiinchingtendency than to try to overcome it after it develops. To this end, thepattern contemplates the provision of means for training so that propermuscular habits of .trigger squeeze and sight alignment will bethoroughly developed before the student is required to re liveammunition, It is a well known fact that performance oi a physical actrepeated many times will soon form a definite habit that will thereafterbe difcult -to change. In conventional training Ithis works to thedisadvantage of the student since the first tendency in firing liveammuition is to flinch and the student soon develops a well iixed habitof flinching that may take years of practice to overcome. With thesynthetic training devices here disclosed, however, the formation of thehabit works to the advantage of the student, since the first syntheticpractice will serve to rmly establish proper muscular habits of triggersqueeze and of sight alignment, which will become so rmly xed that theywill not be materially changed even when the student is subjected to themuzzle blast and recoil of live ammunition.

Further, the use of the present device permits the student toconcentrate his attention on one thing at a time. That is, it ispossible to develop proper trigger squeeze while the student is notdisturbed by the shock of actual firing. Similarly it is easier toovercome any fear of the recoil or muzzle blast if correct habits oftrigger squeeze are already firmly established.

The present invention contemplates the p'ro vision of a device formarksmanship training in which a student may learn to align the sight ofa weapon properly and to squeeze the trigger of the weapon withoutdisturbing the sight alignment, yet in which he need not subject himselfto the recoil and muzzle blast normally accompanying rearms practice. Itis regarded as desirable that the synthetic training provide practicewith a weapon closely approaching an actual weapon in weight, balance,general method of operation and feel of the trigger. For this reason thepresent invention contemplates the provision of a synthetic trainingdevice including a weapon having a stock, barrel, trigger and lockmechanism of identical weight and operating characteristics to those ofthe arm in whose use the student is to be trained. This aim isconveniently accomplished by adapting an actual firearm to use as asynthetic trainer, so that all of lthe characteristics of weight,balance and feel are exactly the same as the student will encounter wheniiring live ammunition, but in which the structure has been modied toprovide audible and visual means for evaluating the proficiency andskill of the VAstudent while engaged in synthetic practice.

In the drawings attached to and forming a part of this specication,

Figure 1 is a side View of a synthetic pistol trainer as contemplated bythis disclosure.

Figure 2 is a central sectional view of a tubular section of the device,arranged to be positioned in the barrel of the weapon,

Figure 3 is a muzzle end View o1 Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a breech end view oi Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmental sectional view of a standard Government modelpistol as adapted for the purpose of synthetic training;

Figure 6 is a fragmental side view of the left side of a standardGovernment model pistol as modied for the purpose; and

Figure 7 is a schematic wiring diagram of the electricalinstrumentalities utilized by the device.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, a standardGovernment model military pistol is adapted for use as a synthetictraining device by the provision of attachments including an aiming wireextending from the weapon to a target, aiming contacts within the barrelof the weapon to indicate alignment of the weapon with the target, andiiring contacts associated with the lock mechanism of the pistol;together with an electrical scoring device to give an evaluation of thedegree of skill with which the weapon is manipulated.

The pistol illustrated includes a reeciver il), stock H, slide I 2 andbarrel I3. The ring mechanism includes a trigger I4, disconnector i5,sear I6, spring-urged hammer l1 and ring pin lf3. Obviously, since thepistol is a standard weapon, it also includes all of the otherconventional parts, but it is not deemed necessary to describe it morefully in this disclosure. It may be pointed out, however, that the slideI2 is provided with a front sight 2| and a rear sight 22 so that theweapon may be aimed by aligning the sights with the aiming point of thetarget.

The aiming contacts associated with the barrel of the weapon are carriedby an aiming tube 23, designed so that it may be slipped into the barrelof the pistol and connected with the scoring device by flexible wiresextending out the breech end of the barrel through the magazine chamber.The aiming tube may be of insulating material or metal. It is providedwith an insulating head 24 at the muzzle end and an insulating plug 25at the breech end. If desired, the plug 25 may include a flange 2t tosecure the aiming tube in position within the barrel I3. The head 2d isprovided with an annular contact disc 28 having a small center opening29. The plug 25 includes a central bore 3l in which one end of a slenderwire 32 is anchored. The wire 32 extends outwardly through the opening29 in the contact 23 to the aiming point 33 on a target 3d and thenceover a pulley 35 to a counterweight 36, so that moderate tension ismaintained on the wire. The point 33 on the target will not necessarilycorre- 4 spond with the center of the bull, but it will be so positionedthat when the sights 2l and 22 of the arm are properly aligned on thetarget the alming wire 322 will be suspended in the center o the opening2S and will not make electrical contact with the annular disc 28. Thus,a student may hold the pistol and align the sights in the usual mannerand the accuracy with which the weapon is aimedL will be indicated bywhether the aiming wire is suspended in the center of the orice orwhether it contacts the disc and establishes an electrical circuit.Thus, the accuracy oi alignment of the weapon may be scored and the pro--iciency of the student determined by providing electrical means forindicating whether the contacts 28 and 32 are closed or open at the timethe arm is fired. To this end a pair of ring contacts il and i2 aremounted on an insulated bracket i3 on the stock of the weapon. Thecontact i2 is provided with a lateral extension 413 to extend under thehammer il so that when the hammer is drawn back to cocked position thecontacts di and i2 will be open. When the weapon is red, however, thetrigger will act through the disconnector and sear to release the hammerand allow its spring to snap it down on the firing pin IS. Since thecontact 112 is no longer held back, the spring mounting of the contactsil-l2 will cause them to close. The closing of the electrical contactsll- |12 operates through the scoring circuit to indicate whether theaiming contacts 28 and 32 are opened or closed at the instant of ringand to thus indicate whether the shot should be registered as a hit or amiss.

The scoring is accomplished by a scoring register having a shots counterIt and a hits counter lll. The register l5 is connected to the pistol bya exible cable d8 and is supplied with power thro-ugh a second flexiblecord 49. The register i5 is provided with a local low voltage battery5l, switch 52 and pilot lamp 53 to indicate the position of the switch.The circuit from the battery 5l extends through the iii-ing contacts d!and i2 to the winding of a relay 5E having a pair of normally closedcontacts and 56 and a pair of normally open contacts 5l and 58. When theweapon is in ring position the switch 52 will be closed and the contactsil and d2 will 4be open so that the contacts of the relay 54 will be asindicated in the drawing. That is, the contacts 5l and 58 will be open,but the contacts 55 and 56 will be closed, so that a circuit iscompleted from the battery 5I through the winding of the latching relayfil. Thus the relay armature 62 will be held against the core 63 and outof engagement with the armature Ed of the relay 65, and the spring ofthe relay 65 will tend to ho-ld the arma-ture 6d and contact 65 closed.However, when the aiming contacts 28 and 32 are closed, a circuit willbe completed from the battery to the winding 65, to open the contacts Bdand E55. The circuit from the high voltage supply lead i'i'i extendsdirectly to the contact 58 and the circuit from the contact 51 extendsdirectly to the winding of the shots counter and back thence to the highvoltage lead B8. A circuit from the contact 5l also extends through thecontacts 6i and 66 to the winding of the hits counter il and a windingof an electrical sco-ring gong 69, and thence back to the lead t8.

The operation of the circuit is as follows:

The switch 52 is closed, bringing the relay contacts 55, 5t, 5i and 53to the position shown. The relay contacts 6d and @d will be closed oropen depending on whether the aiming contacts 28 and 32 are open orclosed. With the contacts 2B and 32 open, (the condition of proper sightalignment of the weapon) the winding 65 will not be energized and thecontacts 64 and 66 will remain closed. If the weapon is red in thisposition, closing of the contacts lil and t2 will complete the circuitthrough the winding of the relay 511i to open the contacts 55 and 5B andclose the contacts 5l and 58. The closing of the contacts 5l and 58completes the circuit from the high voltage lead E51 through the shotscounter #l5 to the lead 68 to register one shot. The circuit will bealso completed through the contacts 5ft and 66 to the hits counter #i1and gong 69, to register a hit and sound the gong.

If the arm is fired when improperly aimed, the contacts 2B and 32 willbe in closed position, and the contacts 64 and B6 will be open. Thus theshots counter 46 will score, but the hits counter il and gong will notbe actuated. As this occurs, the opening of the contacts 55 and 56 willde-energize the relay BI and allow the armature 62 to move above thearmature 55 of the relay 65. Thus the contacts Ell and 65 will be heldopen and subsequent closing of the contacts 28 and 32, after the instantof firing, will not register a false score.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that by the practice of theteachings of this invention it is feasible to evaluate the manipulationof a firearm so that synthetic training with the arm may be followeduntil a high degree of skill is established accurately in aligning thesights and in properly squeezing the trigger. Thus these essentialhabits may be formed prior to practice with live ammunition, and willbecome so iirmly fixed as to avoid the usual tendency to flinch whenactualring is undertaken.

Moreover, synthetic training with the device here disclosed simulatesactual practice so closely as to give the student a sense of realism,which aids in developing proper habits and in maintaining interest andenthusiasm throughout the period of training. The reasons for this aremany, but it may be mentioned that the weight and balance of the weapon,as well as its general appearance, are the same in the synthetictraining as in actual practice, and thus tend to impart a sense ofrealism to the synthetic training.

More important, however, is the fact that the scoring means is designedto give a true indication of the degree of the students skill. lI'his isaccomplished, first, by scoring the accuracy or the shots with referenceto a fixed target remote from the weapon, and, second, by scoring theshots at the time of firing, rather than at the time of trigger squeeze.In any actual firing, it is desirable to hold the weapon as steadily aspossible, but some amount of weaving back and forth will invariably bepresent. If this weaving takes place so that the sights are moving in aparallel motion at the time of iiring the shot will be reasonablyaccurate, even with considerable weaving, but if the weaving includes anangular swing the angle of the sights will be changed and a small amountof movement will throw the shot completely off of the target. That is,the degree of inaccuracy introduced by movement of the Weapon is quitesmall if the movement is a lateral translation maintaining the sights inalignment, but the same amount of motion may result in a very greaterror if the movement is of the nature of an angular swinging of thesights. The actual relative eect of error resulting from either type ofmotion, or from a combination of both motions, is accurately determinedby the scoring contacts of the device here shown, since these lcontactswill close in response to a small angular movement of the weapon butwill not be greatly affected by a small amount of lateral movement.

Similarly, in actual firing, the accuracy of a shot does not depend onthe alignment of the weapon when the trigger is squeezed, but on thealignment at the instant the shot leaves the barrel. The difference intime, though only a fraction of a second, is of extreme importance;since it is easily possible to have the sights in eX- act alignment butto flinch so severely as to throw them olf in the split second requiredfor the hammer of the weapon to fall and iire the cartridge.

This effect is duplicated in the present disclosure by the combinationof the relay 54 and the contacts M and d2. The contacts can close onlyafter the hammer has started its fall, and the time required for therelay to close and establish the scoring circuit provides the splitsecond de.- lay in scoring required to simulate results obtained inactual ring.

While I have sho-wn and described what is believed to be the presentpreferred embodiment of the invention I am aware that it is subject tovario-us modications without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention as deiined in the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government of the United States of America for governmental purposeswithout the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

Having thus described the invention, I claim:

l. As a marksmanship scoring device, a. tubular sleeve adapted to bepositioned within the barrel of a firearm and a plurality of aimingcontacts carried by said sleeve; a plurality of ring contacts adapted tobe secured to the rearm and to be actuated by the lock mechanism of thefirearm; a target; one of said aiming contacts being in the form of awire connected With the point of aim on said target, whereby said aimingcontacts are closed when the iirearm is incorrectly aimed; together withan electrical circuit I including all of the aforementioned contacts andan electric sco-ring device adapted to operate in response to theoperation of the aforementioned aiming and firing contacts.

2. As a marksmanship scoring device, a tubular sleeve adapted to bepositioned within the barrel of a. firearm, said sleeve having a pair ofaiming contacts comprising a fixed annular contact adjacent one end ofthe sleeve and a cooperating shiftable contact universally securedwithin the sleeve at a point remote from the xed contact, a target; saidshiftable contact extending through the annular contact; and beingconnected to the point of aim of said target together with an electricalscoring circuit adapted to operate in response to the operation of theaforementioned aiming contacts.

3. In a marksmanship scoring device, the combination of a trainingweapon and a pair of aiming contacts comprising an annular contact and acooperating contact in shiftable relationship with each other; a target;means connected with said target for actuating said contacts in responseto changes in the position of the weapon; together with a pair ofelectrical ring contacts adapted to be actuated in response tomanipulation of the trigger of the Weapon, and an elec- 7 trical circuithaving a scoring device adapted to operate in response to the operationof the aforementioned ring contacts and second scoring device adapted tooperate in response to the operation of the aforementioned aimingcontacts.

4. In combination with a training Weapon having a barrel, stock, triggerand trigger-actuated lock mechanism, a marksmanship scoring deviceincluding a tubular sleeve positioned within the barrel; a plurality ofaiming contacts carried by said sleeve, a target, a wire connecting oneof said aiming contacts with the point of aim on said target, a.plurality of ring contacts adapted to be actuated by the lock mechanismof the Weapon, together With an electrical circuit including all of theaforementioned contacts and a pair of electric scoring devices, one ofwhich is adapted to operate in response to the operation of theaforementioned aiming contacts and the other in response to theoperation of the ring contacts.

5. In combination with a training weapon having a barrel, stock, triggerand trigger-actuated lock mechanism, a marksmanship scoring deviceincluding a tubular sleeve carried by the barrel and having a pair ofaiming contacts comprising a xed annular contact adjacent the muzzle ofthe barrel and a cooperating shiftable Wire contact universally securedWithin the barrel at a point remote from the muzzle, a target, saidshiftable contact extending outwardly from the barrel through theannular contact adjacent the muzzle and being connected to said targetat a point of aim remote from the Weapon; together with electricalfiring contacts actuated by the lock mechanism of the weapon and anelectrical circuit including a scoring device adapted to operate inresponse to the operation of the aforementioned firing contacts and asecond scoring device adapted to operate in response to the operation ofthe aforementioned aiming contacts.

6. In combination with a training weapon having a barrel, stock, triggerand trigger-actuated lock mechanism, a marksmanship scoring deviceincluding a pair of aiming contacts associated with the barrel of theWeapon; a target; one of said contacts being in the form of a Wireconnected to the point of aim on said target for opening and closingsaid contacts in response to shifting of the position of the barrel withrespect to the point of aim remote from the Weapon; together withelectrical ring contacts actuated by the lock mechanism, and anelectrical scoring circuit including the aforementioned firing contacts.

7. In combination with a training weapon having a barrel, stock, triggerand trigger-actuated lock mechanism, a marksmanship scoring deviceincluding a plurality of electrical aiming elements associated with thebarrel of the weapon; means for shifting the relative position of saidaiming elements in response to shifting of the barrel of the Weapon Withrespect to a point of aim remote from the weapon; said means includingan 8 electrically conductive tension member extending from the aimingelements to said point of aim; together with electrical ring contactsactuated by the lock mechanism of the weapon, and an electrical scoringcircuit including a shots register and a hits register, means responsiveto the actuation of the iiring contacts to operate the shots and hitsregisters simultaneously, and means responsive to the action of theaiming elements to prevent operation of the hits register.

8. In a marksmanship scoring device, the combination of a trainingWeapon including a trigger and trigger-actuated lock mechanism with apair of aiming contacts carried by the weapon; a target, one of saidaiming contacts being in the form of a Wire and Ymechanically actuatedin resp-onse to changes in the position of the Weapon, together with asecond pair of electrical firing contacts adapted to be actuated by thelock mechanism of the Weapon; a pair of electromagnetic scoring devicesconsisting of a shots register and a hits register respectively;electrical means t0 actuate both of said registers in response toactuation of the aforementioned firing contacts, and means responsive tothe action of the aiming contacts to prevent operation of the hitsregister.

9. In combination with a training weapon, a marksmanship scoring deviceincluding a pair of electrically conductive aiming contacts associatedwith the Weapon; means for opening and closing said contacts in responseto shifting of the position of the weapon with respect to a point of aimremote from the arm; said means including a tension member extendingfrom the Weapon to said point of aim; and means for registering thenumber of shots taken and the number of hits.

10. In combination with a training weapon, a marksmanship scoring deviceincluding a pair of aiming contacts comprising a fixed annular eontactand a cooperating shiftable contact universally secured to the weapon ata point remote from the fixed annular contact, said shiftable contactextending through the annular contact and being connected to a point 0faim remote from the weapon; and means for registering the number ofshots taken and the number of hits.

LUIS .DE FLOREZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Moss Sept. 1, 1936 OTHER REFERENCESNumber

